A pioneering eye health programme is creating a legacy for children in Zambia, having almost doubled access to sight-saving eye screenings in its first two years of operation.
Working in the heart of Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, the Qatar Creating Vision initiative (QCV), which is funded by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and implemented by international eye care charity Orbis, has offered record numbers of children a second chance at sight.
Since the project began in July 2023, QCV has delivered over 122,000 free eye screenings to help prevent permanent vision loss, prescribed over 6500 free pairs of glasses to children and trained nearly 800 essential eye health workers in local communities.
As well as providing immediate clinical interventions across 19 eye care facilities, the project has gone even further in its mission to create long-term, sustainable, and accessible eye care across the Copperbelt’s ten districts.
Incredibly, child eye screenings have almost doubled in the past year, which is a powerful sign of shifting mindsets and behavioural change among communities.
Ophthalmic Health Worker Charles conducts an eye health screening.
Over the past two years, the project has brought powerful advocacy messages across the Copperbelt’s airwaves and real-life stories to the screen thanks to a programme of 300 radio broadcasts and community film screenings led by experienced eye care workers.
These initiatives have turned the tide of community engagement in the Copperbelt Province – directly confronting the fears, myths and superstitions that create serious barriers in families accessing healthcare.
With a population of 2.5 million people across the province, and more than half of Zambia’s total population being under the age of 18 – it’s critical that timely support is provided before permanent vision loss can occur.
“I use my voice to help other families choose the right path”
Without intervention, superstitions and cultural myths around eye care can affect education, opportunity and future livelihoods. For ten-year-old Emmanuel, from the Kamuchanga District, cultural beliefs and misinformation led to crucial delays in treatment.
In 2018, a traumatic accident led to complete vision loss in Emmanuel’s right eye, and soon after, his left eye also began to cloud over.
Sadly, fears around treatment discouraged Emmanuel’s mother, Esther, from seeking medical help. Instead, she was pressured to rely on traditional remedies, which included cutting toenails, rinsing them in water, and using these as eye drops.
Emmanuel with his mother, Esther.
Avoidable blindness forced Emmanuel to miss more than two years of schooling before his teachers intervened. Esther finally took Emmanuel to Kamuchanga District Hospital, where she learned about Orbis-supported eye screenings and surgeries.
Emmanuel received life-changing cataract surgery to restore vision in his left eye, which enabled him to return to school and look forward to a bright future.
Esther, meanwhile, is now a passionate advocate for eye health, imploring other parents not to delay medical treatment due to fear or misinformation. She has even shared her story on QCV sponsored-radio programmes as a community ambassador, giving other thousands of families a chance to reclaim their future.
“I once thought of ending my life,” she shared. “I felt overwhelmed, caring for a blind child while trying to make ends meet as a single mother. But I kept going. And now, I use my voice to help other families choose the right path.”
“We’re directly empowering parents and carers to become advocates”
Thanks to the dedication of community ambassadors like Esther working in partnership with the QCV project, local radio stations across the Copperbelt have reached thousands of listeners with practical, easy-to-understand advice on common eye conditions.
“Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment globally,” said Andrew Wardle, Institutions and Networking Lead at Orbis UK. “But thanks to funding from Qatar Fund for Development we’ve almost doubled opportunities for children in one of Zambia’s most populated provinces, ensuring that no matter the circumstances, children can receive life-changing eye care.
“Left untreated, childhood vision loss has lifelong consequences for health, education and earning potential. Through our programme of radio and film screenings, we’ve found an engaging, accessible and cost-effective method to spread eye health information far and wide. We’re directly empowering parents and carers to become healthcare advocates, eliminating barriers to treatment and ensuring a brighter future for Zambia’s next generation.”
As the project enters its third year, Orbis and Qatar Fund for Development remain committed to expanding access to essential eye care services in the Copperbelt Province.
To date, the Zambia project has delivered 122,462 child screenings to communities to identify Cataract and other conditions, prescribed 6504 pairs of glasses and trained 794 frontline workers.
For more information please visit: me.orbis.org
